Feb. 15, 2009

Box Score

HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 13 Northwestern banged out 13 hits including a trio of home runs to defeat Cal State Fullerton, 8-2, Sunday in the finale of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.

The victory gives the Wildcats a 4-1 record at the Classic, the same mark NU earned in the tournament in both 2006 and 2007. The 'Cats are 6-3 overall on the year, while Fullerton falls to 3-3 on the season with its loss.

In the top of the first, Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) drew a leadoff walk before moving to second on a bunt single from Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King). One out later, both runners moved up a base on a passed ball before Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) worked a walk to load the bases with one gone.

Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) followed with a line drive to center that tipped off the very top of the jumping fielder's glove for a two-run single. With Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) at the plate, Batts and Dyer moved up a base on a wild pitch before Monka dumped a single into right to plate Batts and push Dyer to third, giving the Wildcats an early 3-0 lead. A walk to Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) loaded the bases for NU but the frame ended there on a double play grounder.

Cal State Fullerton got on the board in the bottom half of the first, getting runners on first and third with one out after a pair of walks and a wild pitch. The runner on third came home when the next batter fouled out to deep left field to cut the NU lead to two, 3-1.

The Titans put a runner on second with one out in the bottom of the second, but Williams ranged to her right to snare a line drive before firing to Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) to double off the runner and end the inning.

In the top of the third, Batts led off with a single up the middle before yielding first base to pinch runner Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Euler stole second then trotted home when Erin Dyer hit her fourth home run of the season and 33rd of her career to give NU a 5-1 lead. Monka followed with her fourth home run of the weekend to mark the second-straight game she and Dyer went yard back-to-back, making the score 6-1. The Monka blast chased Fullerton starter Katey Laban (0-2) from the circle in favor of Krystal Heinle, who escaped the inning for the Titans.

Fullerton responded with a rally in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out on a single, a fielder's choice grounder and a walk. Northwestern starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) induced a pop up for out number two before defending her position well, stabbing a hard grounder back at her to end the inning unscathed.

The Titans again loaded the bags with one gone in the bottom of the fifth. Delaney got a grounder to short that brought one runner home but erased the runner headed to third, but a walk again loaded the bases before Delaney got a strikeout to end the frame with the score 6-2.

In the top of the seventh, Batts drew a walk then came home on Erin Dyer's second home run of the game to give the Wildcats an 8-2 lead.

The first two Titans reached base in the bottom of the seventh before Thompson recorded the first putout with a diving grab of a line drive just to the foul side of third base. Delaney then got a routine fly ball to left before ending the game with her sixth K.

Delaney (5-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with seven walks and six strikeouts.

Dyer and Monka both went 3-for-4 in the game, with Dyer driving in five and scoring twice. Monka knocked in a pair of runs. Batts scored twice and Thompson also had a pair of hits.

Northwestern returns to action Feb. 20-22 at the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.

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